A20752:581
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems of the spiritual enemies of our salvation, Satan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the means also whereby the Christian may withstand and defeat them : and afterwards more specially their particular temptations, against the several causes and means of our salvation, whereby on the one side they allure us to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw us to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spiritual conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sins / by I. Downame ...The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems of the spirituall ennemies of our saluation, Sathan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the meanes also whereby the Christian may vvithstand and defeate them : and afterwards more speciallie their particvlar temptatiions, against the seuerall causes and meanes of our saluation, whereby on the one side they allure vs to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw vs to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spirituall conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sinnes / by I. Dovvname ...
London: printed for Cuthbert Burby, 1604
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. Sect. 4 Fourthly,1 whereas the Apostle, Phil. 2.12. doth exhort us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling; he doth not hereby take away from us assurance of our election and salvation, but carnal security and self confidence; that so despairing of our own strength, as being unable of our selves to think a good thought, or to will that which is good, we may in all humility rest and rely our selves, wholly upon the Lord. And that this is his meaning, appeareth by the reason which he adjoineth in the verse following: for saith he, it is God which worketh in you both the will and the deed. As though he should say, there is no reason why you should be secure, as though you were able to stand by your own strength; there is no cause why you should be lifted up with fond presumption, or be carried away with self confidence, for of your selves, you are not able so much as to will that which is good, or to perform it though you should will it, unless it please the Lord of his own good pleasure and free will to work both in you, and therefore respecting your own infirmities and imperfections, you should be so far from carnal security or self confidence, that contrariwise you should continually ⟨p. 253⟩fear, least through your corruption you should be overtaken of sin, and so displease the Lord which is your sovereign King and gracious Father. So that the Apostle doth not here exhort us to doubt of our election and salvation, but to a godly fear that we do not fall into sin: he would not have us to doubt of Gods grace and free promises, but of our own strength, by which we are altogether unable to stand if he leave us to our selves: he would not have us fear least we should be rejected and damned, after we are truly converted unto God, but least we fall into sin, and neglect that duty which we owe to our heavenly father.
§. Sect. 4 Fourthly,1 whereas the Apostle, Phil. 2.12. doth exhort vs to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling; he doth not hereby take away from vs assurance of our election and saluation, but carnall securitie and selfe confidence; that so despairing of our owne strength, as being vnable of our selues to thinke a good thought, or to will that which is good, we may in all humilitie rest and rely our selues, wholy vpon the Lord. And that this is his meaning, appeareth by the reason which he adioyneth in the verse following: for saith hee, it is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede. As though hee should say, there is no reason why you should bee secure, as though you were able to stand by your owne strength; there is no cause why you should be lifted vp with fond presumption, or be carried away with selfe confidence, for of your selues, you are not able so much as to will that which is good, or to performe it though you should will it, vnlesse it please the Lord of his owne good pleasure and free will to worke both in you, and therefore respecting your owne infirmities and imperfections, you should bee so farre from carnall securitie or selfe confidence, that contrariwise you should continually